We are pleased to announce the availability of our fourth installment of podcast episodes in Human Rights Education NOW!. These two episodes feature conversations with Rosemary Blanchard. She is Professor Emeritus at California State University Sacramento and a long-time member of HRE USA. She has a Ph.D. in Educational Policy (University of Illinois, 2001), a J.D. (University of Connecticut School of Law, 1972) and an M.A. in Sociology (Johns Hopkins U., 1972).
Full topic listing available for PDF download HERE. Listen on our Buzzsprout podcast website HERE.
Episode 7: Rosemary Blanchard Part One
In Episode 7, Rosemary Blanchard discusses her early interest in human rights issues and the importance of HRE in early education. She shares her background in civil rights law, and how witnessing extreme poverty on a trip to Brazil was transformative in shaping her views on HRE. She shares how working with the Navajo Nation as a policy analyst helped her to better understand international human rights frameworks, and how assimilation through education is a problematic issue in Navajo education. Rosemary then explains her views on the role of American exceptionalism in hampering HRE’s advance in the US. Rosemary discusses the NCSS HRE Community’s role in advancing HRE; its connections to humanitarian law; the lack of domestic understanding of international human rights in the USA; the impact of Abu Ghraib torture on her work in HRE; and the contradictions between US ideals and practices at Abu Ghraib. Finally, Rosemary shares her belief in the significance of building civil society on respect for human dignity.
Topics discussed:
- Importance of HRE in early education
- Civil rights law and extreme poverty as it relates to HRE
- Navajo Nation and connections to HRE
- American exceptionalism and its hampering of HRE
- NCSS role in advancing HRE
- Abu Ghraib and contradictions between US ideals and practices
- Significance of building society based on respect for human dignity
Episode 8: Rosemary Blanchard Part Two
In Episode 8, Rosemary Blanchard continues her discussion on the role of the NCSS Position Statements on HRE; connections between NCSS work and Civic Education coalition; and the problem of eroding civics education in K-12 spaces. Rosemary touches on overcoming the perception that human rights Issues are only “over there,” and the problem of examining human rights as a zero-sum challenge. Rosemary shares her views on avoiding the demonization of opposing views, and the importance of the Council of Europe’s work on democracy and human rights. She goes on to discuss the book chapter she co-wrote with Sandy Sohcot in Mindful Social Studies, and the effectiveness of helping young children create a powerful human rights culture. Rosemary shares her most influential role models in HRE – Nelson Mandela and Thích Nhất Hạnh. Finally, Rosemary shares her belief that HRE should be required in all curriculum standards, at all grade levels and how this belief was influenced by the work of Lawrence Senesh.
Topics discussed:
- NCSS Position Statements on HRE
- Connections between NCSS work and Civic Education Coalition
- Eroding civics education in K-12 spaces
- Overcoming the perception that human rights Issues are only “over there”
- The problem of examining human rights as a zero-sum challenge
- Council of Europe’s work on democracy and human rights
- Book chapter in Mindful Social Studies
- Nelson Mandela and Thích Nhất Hạnh
- Work of Lawrence Senesh
HRE USA 